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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a partner
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — a friend
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com